I was once asked what my favorite part of the Bible was. It is difficult to pick out a favorite section of the Bible. I have gone through it chapter by chapter, every day for the past several years, and each time I go through it again, I glean something new from the most unexpected areas.
These past few weeks I have been reading I Chronicles. In I Chronicles we learn about David’s life, but there are many chapters listing genealogies, names of warriors, and musicians, and tabernacle workers and all listing whose sons they were. This can get very boring, but right in the middle of all the ‘sons of’ may be a gem. Chapter 4 is an example that shows lists of names, and suddenly 2 verses about a fellow named Jabez, whom the Lord blessed.
Then after plodding through more lists of names, and sons of so and so, in chapter 26: 5 it says: ‘Peullethai the eighth; for God blessed him." Then on it goes listing more names. I had to stop and think about this. At first I thought the person it was speaking of was this Peullethai, but as I reread it, and noticed the punctuation, I realized the one being blessed was in verse 4, Obed-Edom. Obed-Edom had been faithful to God in caring for the Ark when it had been dropped off back in 2 Samuel. Peullathai was one of Obed-edom’s sons, so was blessed, also, because his father had been faithful. This can be a lesson to us as parents. If we are faithful, our children will be blessed as well. Verse seven even mentions the grandchildren.
Elsewhere in this same book are words of David, sounding very much like a Psalm. Some examples are I Chron. 16: 8-10: O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name…Sing to Him, sing praises to Him…Glory in His Holy name." And in verses 31-34 of chapter 16 we have all nature singing: "Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice…Let the sea roar…let the fields rejoice. then shall the trees of the wood sing out for joy before the Lord…O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving kindness endure forever."
All this from what I thought was the very ‘boring’ book of I Chronicles. I once read that 'you may look lightly upon a Scripture and see nothing; meditate upon it often; there you shall see a light, like the light of the sun.' This must be what it means, as I have found that the more I read the Scriptures, the more nuggets I find and the more light comes through.
Another thing I have found with the Old Testament, it shows us the most base of human nature. God’s chosen nation did despicable things, turning away from God time after time. And then the Old Testament ends nearly 400 years before Christ is born. It would almost seem as though God had turned away from man, was just washing His hands of the whole human race.
But, as the New Testament begins, a baby is born just as predicted in the Old Testament. And as it tells in Isaiah, the baby became the Passover Lamb, and instead of God washing His hands of mankind, His Son paid the price of all the sin handed down through all these generations, that man can be washed in the blood of that Lamb. What a picture of Grace the New Testament gives. And without the Old Testament, we may not see the clear picture of Grace.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
The Persecuted
For the past few weeks we have been looking at a Beatitude a week, from Matthew 5. The last of these eight Beatitudes on persecution is given a double blessing. "Blessed are the persecuted for the sake of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven". Then Jesus enlarged upon this by saying "Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me."
Some people think that if we are children of God, we should not have problems. If we do have problems then we aren’t praying right. But Jesus said, "the slave is not above his master." Did Jesus have problems? He had no place to really call home; He was badgered and made fun of everywhere He went. He also said, "If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you…" John 15:20. So we will be treated as they treated Jesus, and in the end He was hung on a Cross. When we are able to say, "Not I-but Christ", and "not my will but thine be done." Then we will no doubt be persecuted in some way.
Paul states in II Corinthians 12:20 that he took pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake. He felt Christ was worth the cost. Down through the centuries, up until and including our modern day, we have martyrs and those who have suffered for their faith because they knew Christ was worth it. They also knew there would be a day of reward when this life is over. Again, from Paul in II Timothy 4:7, he says: "in the future there is laid up for me the Crown of Righteousness…which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who loved His appearing."
Christ was persecuted, and we are blessed when we are willing to also be persecuted. To give a principle for this Beatitude, it would seem to be that of being identified with Christ. We share in His sufferings. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I but Christ lives in me…" (Galatians 2:20)
My Prayer:
O Lord, to suffer is something no one likes to think about, yet you have made it clear that if we "suffer with you we shall also reign with you." We know that a faithful witness is going to suffer. You suffered so for me, how can I do less than give of myself to you as a living sacrifice. Paul says he counts "all things but rubbish that he might gain Christ." I would do the same. You, Lord, are worth the cost.
In Jesus Precious Name, Amen
Some people think that if we are children of God, we should not have problems. If we do have problems then we aren’t praying right. But Jesus said, "the slave is not above his master." Did Jesus have problems? He had no place to really call home; He was badgered and made fun of everywhere He went. He also said, "If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you…" John 15:20. So we will be treated as they treated Jesus, and in the end He was hung on a Cross. When we are able to say, "Not I-but Christ", and "not my will but thine be done." Then we will no doubt be persecuted in some way.
Paul states in II Corinthians 12:20 that he took pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake. He felt Christ was worth the cost. Down through the centuries, up until and including our modern day, we have martyrs and those who have suffered for their faith because they knew Christ was worth it. They also knew there would be a day of reward when this life is over. Again, from Paul in II Timothy 4:7, he says: "in the future there is laid up for me the Crown of Righteousness…which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who loved His appearing."
Christ was persecuted, and we are blessed when we are willing to also be persecuted. To give a principle for this Beatitude, it would seem to be that of being identified with Christ. We share in His sufferings. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I but Christ lives in me…" (Galatians 2:20)
My Prayer:
O Lord, to suffer is something no one likes to think about, yet you have made it clear that if we "suffer with you we shall also reign with you." We know that a faithful witness is going to suffer. You suffered so for me, how can I do less than give of myself to you as a living sacrifice. Paul says he counts "all things but rubbish that he might gain Christ." I would do the same. You, Lord, are worth the cost.
In Jesus Precious Name, Amen
Monday, October 4, 2010
The Peacemaker
The seventh of the eight Beatitudes is talking about being a "Peacemaker." "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." In Webster’s Dictionary it states a peacemaker is "a person who makes peace, as by settling the disagreements or quarrels of others." In the Roget’s Thesaurus, it calls a peacemaker an ‘intercessor, interceder, mediator."
If we want to have a principle for this Beatitude, it would seem to be that of ‘reconciling’. When we are reconcilers we are showing that we are ‘sons of God’, and then we are like Jesus, with a family resemblance.
As a ‘peacemaker,’ Jesus is our peacemaker with God the Father. I Timothy 2:5 states there is "one mediator between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus." Jesus took on Himself the body of a man, and paid the price of sin on Mt. Calvary. Now according to Mark 16:19 He is seated at the right hand of the Father. When we accept Him as our substitute, He stands as our mediator, interceding for us, and the Father sees us as He sees His Son, pure and joint heirs with Christ.
We also will find ourselves in a position of being a peacemaker in our every day lives. It may be with brothers and sisters in Christ, of a different denomination, or it may be a different culture. As long as Christ’s diety, humanity, and keeping Christ as the central figure, is not compromised, we can be peacemakers, and can have fellowship with others through our submission to Christ.
Here is what Paul tells us about Jesus, our Peacemaker- example:
"And (He designed) to reconcile to God both (Jew and Gentile united) in a single body by means of His Cross, thereby killing the mutual enmity and bring the feud to an end.
"For it is through Him that we both (Jew or Gentile-far off or near) now have an introduction (access) by one (Holy) Spirit to the Father (so that we are able to approach Him.) (Ephesians 2:16,18 Amplified)
My Prayer:
O Lord, Help me to not put on airs or be judgmental, but to submit wholly to You, accepting all our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, no matter their creed or ethnic group or culture. In You all barriers have been removed and You are our bond of unity and harmony. We are all fellow heirs, members of the same body, and share in the same promise of You through our acceptance of the Gospel. Thank You for showing me how to be a peacemaker. Amen
If we want to have a principle for this Beatitude, it would seem to be that of ‘reconciling’. When we are reconcilers we are showing that we are ‘sons of God’, and then we are like Jesus, with a family resemblance.
As a ‘peacemaker,’ Jesus is our peacemaker with God the Father. I Timothy 2:5 states there is "one mediator between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus." Jesus took on Himself the body of a man, and paid the price of sin on Mt. Calvary. Now according to Mark 16:19 He is seated at the right hand of the Father. When we accept Him as our substitute, He stands as our mediator, interceding for us, and the Father sees us as He sees His Son, pure and joint heirs with Christ.
We also will find ourselves in a position of being a peacemaker in our every day lives. It may be with brothers and sisters in Christ, of a different denomination, or it may be a different culture. As long as Christ’s diety, humanity, and keeping Christ as the central figure, is not compromised, we can be peacemakers, and can have fellowship with others through our submission to Christ.
Here is what Paul tells us about Jesus, our Peacemaker- example:
"And (He designed) to reconcile to God both (Jew and Gentile united) in a single body by means of His Cross, thereby killing the mutual enmity and bring the feud to an end.
"For it is through Him that we both (Jew or Gentile-far off or near) now have an introduction (access) by one (Holy) Spirit to the Father (so that we are able to approach Him.) (Ephesians 2:16,18 Amplified)
My Prayer:
O Lord, Help me to not put on airs or be judgmental, but to submit wholly to You, accepting all our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, no matter their creed or ethnic group or culture. In You all barriers have been removed and You are our bond of unity and harmony. We are all fellow heirs, members of the same body, and share in the same promise of You through our acceptance of the Gospel. Thank You for showing me how to be a peacemaker. Amen
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Pure
The second Beatitude of the last four, (so actually the sixth one in Christ’s sermon) is "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." This is what it says in the amplified version: "Blessed (happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous—possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!"
In the Old Testament, in Psalm 24, David asks the question in verse 3: "…who shall stand in His (God’s) Holy Place?" And he answers it with (verse 4) "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully."
How can we, mere human beings have a pure heart? The principle for being pure would seem to be giving one’s heart wholly to God! Even then it makes one wonder how it is possible.
In I Kings 11:4 it states David’s heart was "wholly devoted to the Lord his God." We know from reading all about the life of David that he did not always act pure. He had committed murder as well as adultery, yet it says he had a ‘wholly devoted heart’. As we think about David’s life, however, we see that he always had a song. When he was a shepherd boy, he sang; running from his enemies, he had a song. When he sinned, he wrote the most beautiful and heartbroken hymn of repentance (see Psalm 51). So, he sinned, yet in his heart he was praiseworthy. No man or woman will have a totally "pure" performance, but when we give the Lord our God our heart, He sees us as "pure".
When we are pure, the way we treat others will come from our love for God. The way the sixth Beatitude reads in The Message helps to explain this. "You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world." And not only will we see God in the outside world, but also the outside world will see God in us. He is not looking for a perfect performance, but He does look for a heart wholly devoted to Him.
A.W. Tozer tells us how to have our minds "wholly on the Lord". It is "by faith and obedience, by constant meditation on the holiness of God, by loving righteousness and hating iniquity, by a growing acquaintance with the Spirit of holiness." Proverbs 23:26 states "my son (daughter), give me your heart and let your eyes observe and delight in my ways."
My daily prayer is that I will have a heart wholly devoted to the Lord; He will see me as "pure", and others will see Jesus in me.
In the Old Testament, in Psalm 24, David asks the question in verse 3: "…who shall stand in His (God’s) Holy Place?" And he answers it with (verse 4) "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully."
How can we, mere human beings have a pure heart? The principle for being pure would seem to be giving one’s heart wholly to God! Even then it makes one wonder how it is possible.
In I Kings 11:4 it states David’s heart was "wholly devoted to the Lord his God." We know from reading all about the life of David that he did not always act pure. He had committed murder as well as adultery, yet it says he had a ‘wholly devoted heart’. As we think about David’s life, however, we see that he always had a song. When he was a shepherd boy, he sang; running from his enemies, he had a song. When he sinned, he wrote the most beautiful and heartbroken hymn of repentance (see Psalm 51). So, he sinned, yet in his heart he was praiseworthy. No man or woman will have a totally "pure" performance, but when we give the Lord our God our heart, He sees us as "pure".
When we are pure, the way we treat others will come from our love for God. The way the sixth Beatitude reads in The Message helps to explain this. "You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world." And not only will we see God in the outside world, but also the outside world will see God in us. He is not looking for a perfect performance, but He does look for a heart wholly devoted to Him.
A.W. Tozer tells us how to have our minds "wholly on the Lord". It is "by faith and obedience, by constant meditation on the holiness of God, by loving righteousness and hating iniquity, by a growing acquaintance with the Spirit of holiness." Proverbs 23:26 states "my son (daughter), give me your heart and let your eyes observe and delight in my ways."
My daily prayer is that I will have a heart wholly devoted to the Lord; He will see me as "pure", and others will see Jesus in me.
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Merciful
For the past few weeks we have looked at the first four Beatitudes as found in Matthew 5. Each of these has shown us we have a "need". Each of them is all about what we need, and that need is for God and others.
The last four Beatitudes also have something in common, and that is, how we are to show Christ to the world through Christ-like qualities, by going beyond ourselves and reaching out to others.
The first Christ-like quality is to be "merciful". In Christ’s sermon He said, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy." This is an interesting remark in that we can’t really ‘give’ mercy or be merciful unless we have received that mercy through Grace from God. Then, we in turn are to reach out to others by showing mercy, and God in turn will bless us and show us mercy. It has the principle here of ‘reciprocity." (my spell checker even took this word!). He gives us mercy through salvation, we show mercy to others, and He gives us blessings.
To show mercy is to be merciful and show compassion. Jesus showed compassion in His healings. He showed compassion when it says He bore the ‘infirmities’ of the weak in Matthew 8:17. He showed compassion at Lazarus’ tomb when it says He wept. He shared in the feelings of Mary and Martha even though He knew what He was about to do. It was Jesus compassion and merciful spirit that was so forgiving and from the Cross He said "Father forgive them."
To be merciful is to learn from Jesus example and what He has done for us, and have compassion and be forgiving to others, even those who wrong us.
My Prayer (part of a prayer by A.W.Tozer in "The Knowledge of the Holy"):
"Holy Father...How can we thank thee enough for thy mercy which comes down to the lowest part of our need to give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and for the spirit of heaviness a garment of praise? We bless and magnify thy mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord." May I too, show mercy as Your ambassador in this world. In Jesus name, Amen
The last four Beatitudes also have something in common, and that is, how we are to show Christ to the world through Christ-like qualities, by going beyond ourselves and reaching out to others.
The first Christ-like quality is to be "merciful". In Christ’s sermon He said, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy." This is an interesting remark in that we can’t really ‘give’ mercy or be merciful unless we have received that mercy through Grace from God. Then, we in turn are to reach out to others by showing mercy, and God in turn will bless us and show us mercy. It has the principle here of ‘reciprocity." (my spell checker even took this word!). He gives us mercy through salvation, we show mercy to others, and He gives us blessings.
To show mercy is to be merciful and show compassion. Jesus showed compassion in His healings. He showed compassion when it says He bore the ‘infirmities’ of the weak in Matthew 8:17. He showed compassion at Lazarus’ tomb when it says He wept. He shared in the feelings of Mary and Martha even though He knew what He was about to do. It was Jesus compassion and merciful spirit that was so forgiving and from the Cross He said "Father forgive them."
To be merciful is to learn from Jesus example and what He has done for us, and have compassion and be forgiving to others, even those who wrong us.
My Prayer (part of a prayer by A.W.Tozer in "The Knowledge of the Holy"):
"Holy Father...How can we thank thee enough for thy mercy which comes down to the lowest part of our need to give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and for the spirit of heaviness a garment of praise? We bless and magnify thy mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord." May I too, show mercy as Your ambassador in this world. In Jesus name, Amen
Monday, September 13, 2010
Those Who Hunger and Thirst
Jesus said "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied. Only Jesus can satisfy. Psalm 42:1 states "As the deer pants for the water brook, so my soul pants for you." Jesus told the woman at the well in John 4 that whoever drank the water that He would give would never thirst. A person who is thirsty craves water; a soul thirsty for God craves or yearns for Him.
Jesus also likens Himself to giving us food for our souls. In John 6:35 He says "I am the Bread of life, He who comes to me will never be hungry…" Psalm 107:9 states "He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." The hunger of our souls and the thirst for more can only be satisfied in Jesus.
The principle we find here is that of ‘yearning’. We are yearning for righteousness, and since Christ is our righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6) we are desiring and yearning for Christ Himself.
I would like to quote a part of a prayer by A.W. Tozer; it fits the longing and yearning of my own soul: "O God, the Triune God, I want to want thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be more thirsty still. Show me thy glory I pray thee, that so I may know thee indeed." Just give me Jesus, and I will be satisfied. Amen
Jesus also likens Himself to giving us food for our souls. In John 6:35 He says "I am the Bread of life, He who comes to me will never be hungry…" Psalm 107:9 states "He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." The hunger of our souls and the thirst for more can only be satisfied in Jesus.
The principle we find here is that of ‘yearning’. We are yearning for righteousness, and since Christ is our righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6) we are desiring and yearning for Christ Himself.
I would like to quote a part of a prayer by A.W. Tozer; it fits the longing and yearning of my own soul: "O God, the Triune God, I want to want thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be more thirsty still. Show me thy glory I pray thee, that so I may know thee indeed." Just give me Jesus, and I will be satisfied. Amen
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Meek
In Matthew 5:5 we read "Blessed are the Meek for they shall inherit the earth." A true meekness is humility coupled with strength. The principle that is behind the blessing of meekness would be submission. We have learned that the poor in spirit are submissive to God. To be ‘meek’ is to be first submissive to God, but then we are to be submissive to our leaders, our spouse and to others in the family of God. In other words, we are to be submissive to each other.
In the New Testament, we have only one person who is called "meek" and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Of Himself He says He is "meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29). In the Old Testament, Moses was the only person with this distinction. In Numbers 12:3 it states "Now the man Moses was very meek (gentle, kind and humble) above all men on the face of the earth" (Amplified Version). Neither one of these men were weak; not in their character and not in their physical being; yet they were meek in their submission to God.
The opposite of meekness would be arrogance. Jesus was never arrogant. And Moses was said to be more humble than any man.
When we admit we need God and others, we will be showing meekness. This is not weakness but submitting to God’s strength. Paul said "When I am weak, then am I strong" (II Cor. 12:10). The Amplified says it this way: "…for when I am weak (in human strength), then am I (truly) strong (able, powerful in divine strength)." And why? Because he was submitting to God’s strength.
My Prayer: O Lord, my desire is to know You better, to go deeper into Your Word and deeper into submission to You. You have said that my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I say with Paul "I will glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ will rest on me". Meekness is truly having the Mind of Christ. Amen
In the New Testament, we have only one person who is called "meek" and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Of Himself He says He is "meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29). In the Old Testament, Moses was the only person with this distinction. In Numbers 12:3 it states "Now the man Moses was very meek (gentle, kind and humble) above all men on the face of the earth" (Amplified Version). Neither one of these men were weak; not in their character and not in their physical being; yet they were meek in their submission to God.
The opposite of meekness would be arrogance. Jesus was never arrogant. And Moses was said to be more humble than any man.
When we admit we need God and others, we will be showing meekness. This is not weakness but submitting to God’s strength. Paul said "When I am weak, then am I strong" (II Cor. 12:10). The Amplified says it this way: "…for when I am weak (in human strength), then am I (truly) strong (able, powerful in divine strength)." And why? Because he was submitting to God’s strength.
My Prayer: O Lord, my desire is to know You better, to go deeper into Your Word and deeper into submission to You. You have said that my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I say with Paul "I will glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ will rest on me". Meekness is truly having the Mind of Christ. Amen
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